Blackberry-Stuffed French Toast

By Jerrelle Guy

Total Time: 50 minutes
Rating: 4(280)
Notes: Read community notes

Whenever you have a little extra time to simmer berries into a simple compote, do — then try stuffing it into hearty French toasts and dusting them with confectioners’ sugar. They’ll almost remind you of a jelly doughnut, even more so if you use brioche hamburger buns as your bread of choice. (But regular white sandwich bread, challah or any other enriched bread works, too.) You can adjust the sugar in the berries, depending on how sweet they are, and, if you prefer a smoother compote, press the cooked fruit through a mesh sieve once cooled to remove any seeds.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1pint/285 grams fresh or frozen blackberries, raspberries or blueberries (about 2 heaping cups)
⅓cup plus 3 tablespoons/100 grams granulated sugar
1tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt
3large eggs
¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk
1 to 2tablespoons dark rum, bourbon or brandy
2teaspoons vanilla extract
8slices brioche or white sandwich bread (each about ½- to ¾-inch thick)
Unsalted butter, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place the berries, ⅓ cup/70 grams granulated sugar, the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Roughly crush the berries with the back of a fork to help release some of their juices.
Step 2
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and cook at a strong simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure the berries never stick to the bottom and burn, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and thicken for another 10 minutes.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, milk, rum, vanilla, a pinch of salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons/30 grams granulated sugar; set aside.
Step 4
Lay 4 pieces of bread out on a plate or tray, and divide the cooled fruit across the bread (about 2 to 3 tablespoons each), leaving roughly ¾-inch of space around the edges of the bread. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread, and press down lightly to adhere.
Step 5
Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium-high and melt enough butter to coat the bottom. Just as the butter begins to bubble, float a sandwich on top of the egg batter for 3 seconds, then flip to soak the other side for 3 more seconds. Hold the sandwich over the bowl for 10 seconds to allow any excess batter to drip off, then transfer it to the hot pan. Repeat with as many sandwiches as will fit in your pan; you may need to do this in batches. Cook until deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side, adding butter to the pan as needed. Transfer to plates and dust generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Ratings

4 out of 5

280 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Lucas3 years ago

The center didn't cook when I made these so there was cooked egg on the outside of the sandwich and raw egg in the center. The berries seemed to collapse the bread when spooned on. Thinking it might be better to soak and fry one side of the bread then add the berries and then fry the outside.

CyberJoe3 years ago

Be sure not to soak much more than 3 secs or else there won’t be enough batter for all four!

Scott2 years ago

If you're having trouble getting french toast to cook through before burning the surface, 1) use a cooler pan, or 2) add a little water to the pan to create some steam, and put a lid on the pan. When the whole thing puffs up, it's done.

Sharon2 years ago

I had to think outside the box on this one. How was I going to float the concoction in the batter using a utensil? Forget the utensil, use your hand. Worked perfectly. Counted 1,2,3 let it drip then do the other side. Mine turned out like the photo and tasted fantastic. My friend said it tasted like a pastry. Success!

NR3 years ago

Blueberries worked well here. I didn’t add any sugar to the egg mixture and didn’t miss it at all. Also used brioche buns which worked well to keep the berry compote in plus it definitely resembled donuts!

Pickles2 years ago

My family has been making this for decades at holiday brunches and we always use well made thick preserves (raspberry always the favorite) right out of the jar. The thickness of preserves prevents runniness. Spread jam evenly over each piece of French toast then roll up each piece and place french toast rolls tightly in a baking pan, sprinkle lightly w cinnamon then pour maple syrup on top but don't over pour! Bake in 350 preheated oven for 15 minutes, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

EW7 months ago

Made with frozen mango since it was all I had, and it was delicious

beckblack1 year ago

Used sliced brioche, subbed strawberries for blackberries, and added whipped mascarpone to the center for a strawberries cream effect. Flavor was DELICIOUS, but the inside was mush. Going to try another person's suggestion and fry one side of the bread first before adding the filling.

Erin1 year ago

Kids loved these, but I thought they were too sweet. I would definitely make again and try reducing the sugar in the compote.

Erin1 year ago

I had to cook down the blackberries for about double the time listed here, and without the lid for the second half. They were very soupy after 20 minutes of covered cooking. I cooked down until they were spreadable, and had no issues with the compote leaking or making everything soggy.

Bougeotte1 year ago

Re comments about even cooking: once the outsides have been lightly pan-fried, a moderate oven might be the way to go.

Cake1 year ago

I used thick raspberry preserves instead

Rose1 year ago

Try baking it in the oven instead

Cindy1 year ago

Used leftover baguette and made finger sized. Tasty!

Lance1 year ago

I made a slight tweak that seems to have avoided the struggles mentioned here: I made the compote, set it aside, and then made the French toast in the usual manner — with this recipe's measurements for eggs, milk, rum, vanilla extract, and bread, but simply griddling for 1-2 minutes per side. Then, I topped each thick-cut slice with the compote (plus a dollop of tangy skyr and some chopped almonds) and it was delicious. Try it!

nurs3smiley2 years ago

This is a great recipe. I used a jam in the fridge because I didn’t have ingredients to make the compote but it tasted amazing. Used brioche bread

Colt2 years ago

This was excellent. I lightly toasted the inside of the bread under a broiler before adding the blackberries. This prevented them from soaking through and causing it to get soggy in the middle.

Pickles2 years ago

Janie2 years ago

This is lovely. We made homemade jam with a bag of frozen mixed berries, maple syrup, vanilla, and chia seeds. We followed the rest of the recipe as written. Make sure to make the sandwiches and then dip in the French toast custard—some commenters seemed to dip both sides of the bread and then make the sandwiches. This would be a mess! The sandwiches worked beautifully.

Jennifer2 years ago

One can just make French toast per usual and pour the jam on top. Same results, easier method.

Richard2 years ago

Same results? Jam in the middle as the bread is fried v jam poured on top after the fact. Not the same.

Richard NYC2 years ago

I put peanut butter and jam (usually blackberry) between the slices for a delicious French toast that kids love.

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